The Constitution
Guarantee Clause
Article IV's promise that the United States will guarantee every state a republican form of government and protect it against invasion and domestic violence.
In full
The clause has produced little litigation, because the Supreme Court has generally treated what counts as a republican form of government as a political question for Congress. It nonetheless underlies federal authority to act when a state's basic governing structure fails, and it is periodically raised in disputes over ballot initiatives and state constitutional design.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.